This produces something like the English “tut-tut”. South Africa - South Africa - Languages: The Black African population is heterogeneous, falling mainly into four linguistic categories. The last is a lateral click with the tongue at the side of the mouth. Other Nguni languages include Swati, Northern Ndebele and Zulu. It too is a tonal language, governed by the noun, which dominates the sentence. Interestingly, the word Xhosa is from the Khoisan language and means “The angry men”. Many unofficial languages have been variously claimed to be dialects of official languages, which largely follows the Apartheid practice of the Bantustans, wherein minority populations where legally assimilated towards the official ethnos of the Bantustan or "Homeland". Zulu is the most prevalent, followed by Xhosa, Afrikaans and English. Without detracting from the provisions of subsection (2), all official languages must enjoy parity of esteem and must be treated equitably. Glo dat Suid-Afrika behoort aan almal wat daarin woon, verenig in ons verskeidenheid. Xhosa. When visiting the Eastern Cape be sure to ask an amaXhosa to teach you a few phrases, they are certain to be willing to share their unique language with you. Those who speak this language typically form part of the ethnic group called the amaXhosa and refer to their language as isiXhosa. There are 11 official languages in South Africa, of which Xhosa is one of the most widely spoken. The first is dental clicks with the tongue pressing against the back of the teeth. rendered as Tshivenda instead of the correct Tshivenḓa. Although South Africa has 11 official languages we would say the 12th should be Slang. South African … South Africa has 11 official languages! Xhosa, or IsiXhosa, is one of South Africa’s eleven official languages, and is predominantly spoken in the Eastern Cape region, including the former Transkei and Ciskei areas, where Mandela and former president Thabo Mbeki were born. Xhosa is well known for its set of three major clicks. Xhosa. More importantly, these languages have significant local functions in specific communities whose identity is tightly bound around the linguistic and cultural identity that these non-official SA languages signal. South African Culture and Tradition Explored. Our highly qualified professional linguists are at the pinnacle of language expertise and cultural heritage in South Africa and thought leaders in their respective linguistic fields. There are eleven major languages of South Africa; Afrikaans, English, Swazi, Sotho, Swan, Ndebele, Venda, Zulu, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, and Xhosa. Other Southeastern Bantu languages are Zulu, Henry Hare Dugmore helped translate the entire Bible in Xhosa language. The majority of South Africans speak a language from one of the two principal branches of the Bantu languages that are represented in South Africa: the Sotho–Tswana branch (which includes Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho and Tswana languages officially), or the Nguni branch (which includes Zulu, Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele languages officially). Most South Africans can speak more than one language. Many South Africans mix and match the languages together, which leads to South Africa having a very unique local language. Xhosa lesson by Nelson Sebezela, guide for Calabash Tours in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, interviewed by Patrick Leighton. Sikholelwa kwelokuba uMzantsi-Afrika ngowabo bonke abahlala kuwo, bemanyene nangona bengafani. YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: Patriarchy is a problem in my culture, says Zulu girl Densely populated with uncommon consonants, Xhosa consists of the usual pulmonic egressive sounds (used in English), ejectives, 15 clicks and an implosive. The two South African languages isiZulu and isiXhosa as well as isiNdebele and siSwati, both languages spoken in Mpumalanga, are termed Nguni languages as they are spoken by the Nguni people to which the Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi and Ndebele tribes belong to. Controversy surrounds the designation of Northern Sesotho as Sepedi (its main dialect) instead of the comprehensive Sesotho sa Leboa (which had been the wording in the Interim Constitution of 1993). Xhosa is spoken by 7.6 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. The next are the alveolar clicks with the tongue tip and palate. Tshembha leswaku Afrika Dzonga i ya vanhu hinkwavo lava tshamaka eka rona, hi hlanganile hi ku hambana-hambana ka hina. Chapter 1 (Founding Provisions), Section 6 (Languages) of the Constitution of South Africa is the basis for government language policy. Unofficial and marginalised languages include what are considered some of Southern Africa's First Nation languages: Khoekhoegowab, !Orakobab, Xirikobab, N|uuki, !Xunthali, and Khwedam; and other African languages, such as SiPhuthi, IsiHlubi, SiBhaca, SiLala, SiNhlangwini ("IsiZansi"), SiNrebele (SiSumayela), IsiMpondo/IsiMpondro, KheLobedu, SePulana, HiPai, SeKutswe, SeṰokwa, SeHananwa, SiThonga, SiLaNgomane, SheKgalagari, XiRhonga, SeKopa( Sekgaga) and others. Fewer than two percent of South Africans speak a first language other than an official one. (a) The national government and provincial governments may use any particular official languages for the purposes of government, taking into account usage, practicality, expense, regional circumstances and the balance of the needs and preferences of the population as a whole or in the province concerned; but the national government and each provincial government must use at least two official languages. Though these are still under debate, one frequently accepted dialect grouping is as follows: Xhosa (original), Bhaca, Gcaleka, Thembu, Mpondomise, Ngqika, Mpondo, Mfengu and Bomvana. [8] The spelling of Venda is also incorrectly[according to whom?] With 11 official languages, South Africa is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. The 11 languages spoken in South Africa are: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Tsonga, Swati and Ndebele. The national government and provincial governments, by legislative and other measures, must regulate and monitor their use of official languages. This site is supported by ads. Re dumela hore Afrika Borwa ke naha ya bohle ba phelang ho yona, re kopane le ha re fapane. South Africa’s Constitution recognises 11 official languages: Sepedi (also known as Sesotho sa Leboa), Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu.. For centuries South Africa’s official languages were European – Dutch, English, Afrikaans. © Copyright 1995-2021 Southafrica.com. All Rights Reserved. Learn key phrases and find out about South African language … At least thirty-five languages indigenous to South Africa are spoken in the Republic, ten of which are official languages of South Africa: Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venḓa, Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans. Approximately 16 percent of South Africa’s population, or 8.3 million people, cite Xhosa as being their home language. Sesotho refers to Southern Sotho, and isiNdebele refers to Southern Ndebele. Approximately 16 percent of South Africa’s population, or 8.3 million people, cite Xhosa as being their home language. This has resulted in the spread of an urban argot, Tsotsitaal or S'Camtho/Ringas, in large urban townships in the province, which has spread nationwide. Erken die ongeregtighede van ons verlede; Siyakwazi ukungakaphatheki kwethu ngokomThetho kwesikhathi sakade; Siyaziqonda iintswela-bulungisa zexesha elidlulileyo; Siyazamukela izenzo ezingalungile zesikhathi esadlula; Siyakubona kungabi khona kwebulungiswa esikhatsini lesengcile; Re lemoga ditlhokatoka tša rena tša bogologolo; Re elellwa ho ba le leeme ha rona nakong e fetileng; Re itse ditshiamololo tsa rona tse di fetileng; Ri dzhiela nṱha u shaea ha vhulamukanyi kha tshifhinga tsho fhelaho; Hi lemuka ku pfumaleka ka vululami ka nkarhi lowu nga hundza; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Huldig diegene wat vir geregtigheid en vryheid in ons land gely het; Sihlonipha labo abahlukumezekako ngerhuluphelo yokobana kube khona ubulungiswa nekululeko enarhenekhethu; Sibothulel’ umnqwazi abo baye bev’ ubunzima ukuze kubekho ubulungisa nenkululeko elizweni lethu; Siphakamisa labo abahluphekela ubulungiswa nenkululeko emhlabeni wethu; Setfulela sigcoko labo labahlushwa kuze sitfole bulungiswa nenkhululeko eveni lakitsi; Re tlotla bao ba ilego ba hlokofaletšwa toka le tokologo nageng ya gaborena; Re tlotla ba hlokofaditsweng ka lebaka la toka le tokoloho naheng ya rona; Re tlotla ba ba bogileng ka ntlha ya tshiamo le kgololosego mo lefatsheng la rona; Ri ṱhonifha havho vhe vha tambulela vhulamukanyi na mbofholowo kha shango ḽashu; Hi xixima lava xanisekeke hikwalaho ko hisekela vululami na ntshunxeko etikweni ra hina; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and, Respekteer diegene wat hul beywer het om ons land op te bou en te ontwikkel; en, Sihlonipha labo abasebenzileko ekwakhiweni nekuthuthukisweni kwephasi lekhethu; begodu, Siyabahlonela abo baye basebenzela ukwakha nokuphucula ilizwe lethu; kwaye, Sihlonipha labo abasebenzele ukwakha nokuthuthukisa izwe lethu; futhi, Sihlonipha labo labaye basebentela kwakha nekutfutfukisa live lakitsi; futsi, Re hlompha bao ba ilego ba katanela go aga le go hlabolla naga ya gaborena; mme, Re tlotla ba ileng ba sebeletsa ho aha le ho ntshetsa pele naha ya rona; mme, Re tlotla ba ba diretseng go aga le go tlhabolola naga ya rona; mme, Ri ṱhonifha havho vhe vha shuma vha tshi itela u fhaṱa na u bveledzisa shango ḽashu; na, Hi hlonipha lava tirheke ku aka no hluvukisa tiko ra hina; no. However, most of the people can speak more than one language. About the Xhosa Language. However. It is an official language in South Africa and Lesotho, spoken primarily in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, where around 7.3 million speakers live. Density of first-language speakers of Sotho–Tswana languages. While most South Africans can communicate in more than one language, English is the most commonly spoken and the language of official business and commerce. -Xhosa-Zulu-Afrikaans-English-Venda-Tsonga. From here the message of Islam was disseminated to the slave community of Cape Town, and this population was foundational in the formation of Afrikaans. Xhosa is written using a Latin alphabet. Xhosa is an unusual and attractive sounding language, though difficult to master. As a Bantu language, Xhosa and Zulu people are often able to understand one another. In the older immigrant communities there are: Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Portuguese, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Yiddish, Italian and smaller numbers of Dutch, French and German speakers. The Xhosa language is spoken by nearly 8 million people, which is around 18% of the South African population. U tenda uri Afrika Tshipembe ndi ḽa vhoṱhe vhane vha dzula khaḽo, vho vhofhekanywaho vha vha huthihi naho vha sa fani. Of particular note is the Cape Muslim pioneering of the first Afrikaans literature, written in Arabic Afrikaans, which was an adaptation of the Jawi script, using Arabic letters to represent Afrikaans for both religious and quotidian purposes. Source: Pan South African Language Board, constitutionally appointed. Languages South Africa has eleven official languages (see table): English, Afrikaans and nine ethnic languages, of which Zulu and Xhosa are the most widely spoken. Xhosa has ten vowels. This click is like the sound people make to call horses. South African English is spoken in a variety of accents, and is usually peppered with words from Afrikaans and African languages. Mr Mandela was born in the Eastern Cape, the homeland of many Xhosa speakers. South Africa is the Rainbow Nation, a title that captures the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity.The population of South Africa is one of the most complex and diverse in the world. [citation needed]. The 15 clicks (which learners tend to battle with the most) are divided into three categories. Hajji Yusuf was an Indonesian noble of royal descent, being the nephew of the Sultan Alauddin of Gowa, in today Makassar, Nusantara. Yusuf, along with 49 followers including two wives, two concubines and twelve children, were received in the Cape on 2 April 1694 by governor Simon van der Stel. The most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu (23 percent), followed by Xhosa (16 percent), and Afrikaans (14 percent). Sikholelwa ekutseni iNingizimu Afrika yabo bonkhe labahlala kuyo, sihlangene ngekwehlukahlukana kwetfu; Re dumela gore Afrika-Borwa ke ya batho bohle ba ba dulago go yona, re le ngata e tee e nago le pharologano. Afrikaans is also spoken widely across the centre and north of the country, as a second (or third or even fourth) language by Black South Africans (which, in South Africa, popularly means SiNtu-speaking populations) living in farming areas. Gauteng is the most linguistically heterogeneous province, with roughly equal numbers of Nguni, Sotho-Tswana and Indo-European language speakers, with Khoekhoe influence. Tsotsitaal in its original form as "Flaaitaal" was based on Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch, which is the most widely spoken language in the western half of the country (Western and Northern Cape). Many tourists make their way up the crest of spectacular Sani Pass to enjoy a meal at Southern Africa's highest pub. Xhosa is characterised by a number of clicking sounds, which are formed by the tongue. These non-official languages may be used in limited semi-official use where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Prior to 1994, South Africa had only two official languages, English and Afrikaans. A top South African university has dropped Afrikaans as its official language in favour of English. They were housed on the farm Zandvliet, far outside of Cape Town, in an attempt to minimise his influence on the VOC's slaves. The dramatic Sani Pass is a renowned mountain road providing access from the Natal Drakensberg Park into magical Lesotho. Xhosa or isiXhosa is one of the eleven official languages of the Republic of South Africa and is spoken by about 8 million people as a first or home language (‘mother tongue’). When visiting the Natal Midlands, be sure to drive along ... SouthAfrica.com. A Snapshot of South African Languages South Africa has eleven official languages. 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